What Could Be
by LA-ink13
Summary: A collection of Nell/Callen one-shots. Chapters are not interrelated, but all tell a story of Nell and Callen. Stories will be both romantic and friendship. Possible spoilers for season 5. Prompts welcome in reviews or by PM.
1. Chapter 1

She showed up at his door knowing that she probably wasn't expected or wanted. But that didn't stop her from trying. She needed to make sure that he didn't think that he was alone through all of this.

He swung the door open and glared at her. "What?"

"I thought you might want some dinner," she said, holding the bag of take out as a peace offering in front of her.

"No thanks," he said, as he got ready to close the door on her.

"Stop being rude," she said, slipping her foot against the door so he couldn't close it. "I'm coming in. I'm going to eat. And if you don't want any, that's fine. It's more for me."

"I just don't feel like the company."

She shrugged and slipped in under his arm. "Tough."

"You don't get to just come over uninvited."

"I can when I'm short enough to slip in," she answered. "Anyways, it was suppose to be movie night."

"I told you it was canceled."

"Because you didn't think you'd be back. But you are. So here I am."

"I'm not in the mood for a movie."

She shrugged. "I'm not either. We can have our Iron Man marathon another night. But that doesn't mean that I'm leaving you alone tonight."

"I'm better alone."

"No you're not," she said, gently reaching her hand out to him. "You're better with your team. And I know that you're all hurting, but that doesn't mean that you can start locking people out."

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have let it go as far as it did. I should have put a stop to it. But I listened to Hetty and Granger instead of myself, and now everything is broken."

"We'll fix it," she said softly. "I promise. And it'll be even better than before. Let me help."

He started to argue, but stopped with a sigh. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She relaxed against him with a small sigh of her own.

"It's hard," he said softly.

"Asking for help?"

"Admitting that maybe I can't do it all alone."

"Tomorrow we'll figure out what to do about the team. We'll see if we can fix Sam, and comfort Kensi, and get Deeks out of his apartment. But for tonight, let me take care of you."

Callen nodded and Nell took his hand and guided him down the hallway into the kitchen. She patted one of the bar stools and let go of his hand.

"You sit. I'll get our food," she said with a smile.

She looked back at him with a soft grin and she heard him pull out the chair and sit down. As she pulled out the only two dishes that he owned out of the cupboard, she shook her head. Two months ago he had only owned one dish. She had been surprised one night to find a second one had appeared.

Slowly he was buying little thing that reminded her that he was letting her into his life. It frustrated her sometimes that it felt like he would never let her in entirely. But the fact that she was still her today after he had flown back from watching Janvier being placed into his cell. She had been sure she wouldn't be sitting down to dinner after that.

"Thank you," he said suddenly, causing her to turn around.

"For what?" she asked.

"Being you."


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry I've gone without updating for so long! I have some ideas but nothing that's really made it to paper lately. But I did manage this along with the one-shot that I just posted!

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><p>"Bra," Nell repeated as she stormed into her apartment. "Bra."<p>

"Nell, it's not what it looks like," Callen said following behind her, the offending object still in his hand.

She pointed to it. "That. That was in your car. And it isn't mine."

"I told you, it's Kensi's."

"Not making it better," she said shaking her head.

"It's nothing, Nell," he said. "I promise."

"So if I ask Kensi?" she questioned. "What would she say?"

Callen sighed and leaned against the wall. "Can we just drop it."

Nell shrugged. "Sure. Take your bra and go home."

"Not what I meant," he said. "Come on, Bug. Please."

She turned and glared at him. "You don't get it."

"You're right, I don't. So enlighten me," he said.

"What are we?" she asked. "You come over, and we watch movies, and get takeout, and sleep together. But we're nothing. We don't go out, no one knows about us. It's nothing exclusive. It's just something to pass the time, and I find this, and maybe it means you found something better. Maybe someone you can go out with that it's hidden away. Maybe it's with someone who's clothes come off somewhere other than the bedroom. Maybe she's prettier, maybe she's taller, maybe blonder. Maybe she's perfect for you."

Callen nodded, and took her hand. Leading her over to the sofa, he sat down and tugged her into his lap. "Or maybe it's Kensi's bra and she and maybe it fell out of her go bag when she was rooting through it looking for a Twinkie earlier today. Because maybe there's only you in my life. And maybe we don't go out because I don't want to share you. Because maybe I've never had anything that was just mine besides a box of memories, a duffle, and a bedroll. Because maybe I thought that I didn't want to share this perfect thing that I had found with someone else."

"Oh," Nell said softly.

"And maybe I was wrong. If you want to go out, we can. If you want me to take your bra off in the car, I can. If you want everyone to know about us, that's fine. You're it for me, Nell. It is exclusive to me. There is no one else. There couldn't be anyone else."

She nodded and snuggled closer to him. He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she felt the rest of her of her frustrations drain away as she tilted her head up and his lips touched hers.


End file.
